The present invention relates to the field of making up and/or treating keratinaceous fibers or xe2x80x9chairsxe2x80x9d, in particular the eyelashes or the eyebrows.
In general terms, there exists a need to have an applicator capable of picking up a relatively large quantity of substance so that the user does not need to refill the applicator too often while making up.
In known applicators comprising a row of teeth, the quantity of substance retained between the teeth depends on their spacing, and it is limited by the fact that the teeth must remain relatively close together in order to grip the eyelashes.
The present invention seeks to propose a novel applicator capable in particular of making up the eyelashes or the eyebrows in satisfactory manner, while offering the possibility of being used for a sufficient length of time and also being comfortable to use.
The invention achieves this by the applicator including a support defining at least one opening situated between two opposite regions of the support, and protruding elements connected to at least one of said regions and directed towards the other region.
By means of the invention, it is possible to make an applicator having protruding elements arranged in such a manner as to take hold of the eyelashes while nevertheless having a supply of substance available that enables the applicator to continue being used for a sufficient length of time between refills and also enabling the eyelashes to be appropriately coated in substance at the time of use.
Furthermore, the applicator of the invention is easy to manufacture, the protruding elements being suitable for being cut out in the support or the opening of the support which is taken advantage of for unmolding the protruding elements.
At least a fraction of the protruding elements can be made on each opposite region of the support by being molded or injected onto the support, or by being cut out and deformed from a sheet of metal.
The invention makes it possible for a single support to carry protruding elements of different kinds and/or configurations, in particular protruding elements of a given type whose orthogonal projection extends at least in part into the opening of the support, and protruding elements of another type, situated at the outer periphery of the support.
In a particular embodiment, the support is closed around the above-mentioned opening.
In a variant, the support can be generally U-shaped, in which case it is not completely closed around the opening.
The support can be plane, or in a variant it can be non-plane.
The support can also present a boat-shaped configuration or it can be bent.
In particular, the support can be generally elongate in shape along a longitudinal axis and it can be bent about said axis and around a transverse axis.
In a particular embodiment, the support is connected at one end to a link member which is connected to a handle member.
By way of example, the link member can be constituted by a stalk.
Under such circumstances, the support advantageously presents a generally tapering shape towards the end remote from the link member, so as to make the support easier to insert through a wiper member.
The support can be generally elongate in shape, having a longitudinal axis that is parallel to or transverse to the axis of the link member.
All or some of the protruding elements present respective free ends situated at a distance from the region of the support opposite the region to which they are connected.
Thus, some of the protruding elements can form bridges of material in two opposite regions of the support, e.g. so as to make the support more rigid.
Such bridges of material can also serve to hold at least one protrusion-forming element, such as a tooth or a point or tip.
In particular, the applicator can have one or more bridges of material extending in the longitudinal direction of the support, or in a variant in its transverse direction.
In a particular embodiment, the applicator of the invention has a succession of curved bridges of material extending to the same side of the opening, or alternately to opposite sides thereof.
When the support is elongate in shape, at least some of the protruding elements can be connected to a region of the support that extends substantially parallel to its longitudinal direction.
The support can be made of an elastomer material.
The support can also be made of a material that is more rigid than the material used for making the applicator elements.
This makes it possible to improve comfort in use because the protruding elements are more flexible than the support.
The support can be composite in structure, e.g. comprising metal reinforcements with a coating of plastics material around the reinforcements.
Under such circumstances, at least some of the protruding elements can be made out of the same material as the material used for making said coating, with other protruding elements optionally being made of the same material as the reinforcement.
This makes it possible to have protruding elements of different hardnesses within the same applicator.
The applicator can also have protruding elements protruding from two opposite regions of the support, the orthogonal projections of said elements onto the opening formed between said regions extending at least part of the way across the opening.
Advantageously, the protruding elements are then interleaved.
This makes it possible for the protruding elements to form forks or V-shaped grooves in which the eyelashes can be engaged.
Such forks or V-shaped grooves serve to smooth the substance onto the surface of the eyelashes, to lengthen them, and to take hold of them in order to curve them.
The applicator can have protruding elements on one side only of the support, or in a variant, on both sides of the support.
In particular, the applicator can have a first group of protruding elements that are interleaved above the support and a second group of protruding elements that are interleaved beneath the support.
The applicator can have protruding elements that extend alternately from opposite sides of the opening.
The protruding elements extending from the same side of the support can have bases that do not touch.
The applicator can have a succession of protruding elements of lengths that vary as a function of their positions on the support.
In particular, the lengths of said protruding elements can increase on going away from one end of the support.
The applicator can have protruding elements whose orthogonal projections lie entirely within the opening.
The applicator can also have protruding elements whose orthogonal projections are situated in part in the opening and in part on the support.
At least a fraction of the protruding elements can be constituted by teeth of generally tapering shape.
For at least a fraction of the protruding elements, the angle formed by said elements with their orthogonal projections can lie strictly between 5xc2x0 and 90xc2x0, and preferably in the range 10xc2x0 to 50xc2x0, and more preferably in the range 15xc2x0 to 30xc2x0.
The angle in question is selected as a function of the desired makeup, and as a function of the shape and the configuration of the protruding elements.
At least a fraction of the protruding elements can be rectilinear in shape, or otherwise, in particular, they can be curved.
At least a fraction of the protruding elements can have surfaces that present flocking, relief that is visible to the naked eye, or a coating for improving the sliding of eyelashes.
The protruding elements can be made of plastics material, preferably integrally with the support.
The plastics material can have a filler constituted by a biocide, a material for improving slip, or magnetic particles.
The length of the protruding elements can, for example, lie in the range 0.5 millimeters (mm) to 10 mm, and preferably lies in the range 2 mm to 6 mm.
The protruding elements preferably co-operate with the support to define an applicator member whose maximum transverse dimension d parallel to the opening is greater than the maximum transverse direction perpendicular to the opening.
The invention also provides a packaging and applicator device fitted with such an applicator and a receptacle for containing a substance to be applied.